Mar 29, 2024  
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog 
    
2023-2024 Undergraduate Catalog

Section Five: Acceptable Use Policy Technology Resources


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Access to Carroll Community College’s computing facilities, telecommunications and network services, internet, social media platforms/accounts, servers, equipment, software, applications, information resources, printing and scanning (collectively, “technology resources”) is a privilege provided to all college users (students, faculty, staff, community users). Use of technology resources must comply with the College’s Standards for Acceptable Use of Technology Resources as well as all local, state, and federal laws relating to copyright, security, harassment and other statutes regarding electronic media. Access to information technology resources may be revoked if misused, abused, or if the College’s policies are violated by the user. Abuse of these privileges will result in appropriate disciplinary or legal action.

(Approved, Board of Trustees, May 19, 2010)

(Revision Approved, Board of Trustees, December 17, 2014)

Standards for Acceptable Use of Technology Resources

The following standards apply to anyone using College property and facilities including but not limited to computing facilities, telecommunications and network services, internet, social media platforms/accounts, servers, equipment, software, applications, information resources, printing and scanning (collectively, “technology resources”)

Users of technology resources must conform to the College’s Standards of Student Conduct, College Regulations and Policies, as stated in the College catalog, all applicable College policies, and all local, state, and federal laws relating to copyright, security, harassment and other statutes regarding electronic media.

Carroll Community College’s technology resources are to be used for College related activities. The right to use the college’s technology resources can be revoked if misused, abused, or if this policy is violated by the user. Abuse of these privileges will result in appropriate disciplinary or legal action whether the misuse occurs on or off campus.

Because information on electronic networks appears, disappears, and changes without notice, it is impossible to control all materials. Carroll Community College is not responsible for the accuracy or quality of the information obtained via information systems or the Internet. Since it is impossible to anticipate every possible violation, it is incumbent upon the user to weigh his/her actions against the purpose and examples provided in this document and to know what constitutes a violation.

The following list of violations is by way of illustration only and intended to provide a framework for activities that fall into the category of unacceptable use. Violations include, but are not limited to:

  • Using college resources for personal commercial purposes or financial or other gain, or for partisan political purposes, such as using electronic mail to circulate advertising for products or political candidates;
  • Connecting personal devices (i.e. laptop, tablet, switch, router, etc.) to the college’s internal network. Wireless Internet access is available for all personal devices via the guest network, “CCC Open”;
  • Endorsing, on behalf of the college, any product, service or organization except in accordance with legitimate college purposes, including course-related activities;
  • Knowingly violating intellectual property rights, including Federal copyright law (including peer-to-peer file sharing), trademark, patent, trade secret or software licensing, such as pirating installing, copying, distributing, or using digital content such as software, music, text, images or video without appropriate license or as qualified under “Fair Use”. Using technology resources to obtain unauthorized access to records, data, or other forms of information owned, used, possessed by, or pertaining to the College or individuals;
  • Accessing or transmitting confidential or proprietary information about the College, students, faculty, staff, alumni, and donors, including student information and/or academic records protected by FERPA, personally identifiable information (PII) about any current or former student, faculty, staff, and donor except in accordance with college responsibilities for legitimate college purposes;
  • Engaging in any activity that might be purposefully harmful to systems or to any information stored thereon, such as creating or propagating viruses, disrupting services, damaging files or making unauthorized modification to college data. Knowingly sending or posting unsolicited and/or inappropriate mass email messages without proper authorization i.e. spam junk email, chain letter, pyramid schemes, or other commercial advertising;
  • Impersonating another user or otherwise falsifying a user name in email;
  • Downloading, storing, creating, transmitting, and/or displaying threatening, obscene (including material as defined in Title 11, Section 203 of the Criminal Law of Maryland Annotated Code*), pornographic, racist, sexist, or harassing material, including broadcasting unsolicited messages or repeatedly sending unwanted mail, unless legal and for the purposes of specifically meeting course learning objectives.
  • Knowingly circumventing security software or hardware;
  • Theft including identity theft of personal information or personal financial business, including credit card numbers and other information;
  • Port scanning or security scanning unless prior approval has been granted;
  • Executing any form of network monitoring which will intercept data not intended for your host, except in accordance with college responsibilities for legitimate college purposes;
  • Share logins, usernames, or passwords

Acceptable use also includes making economical and wise use of limited and shared technology resources including the wireless network. Users of Carroll Community College’s technology resources should refrain from monopolizing systems, overloading networks, or excessive printing including but not limited to downloading large files, music, movies, games, etc.

Carroll Community College supports learning activities that adhere to high academic standards. Users are the first line of enforcement and should understand the consequences of their actions. Use of the College’s technology resources serves as an additional source for College-related communications. It should be noted that communications via the College’s information systems and/or the Internet including electronic mail (e-mail), are not secure or private, and there should be no expectation of privacy when utilizing College resources. The College reserves the right to monitor and record usage of technology resources at any time and to retrieve documents as deemed necessary. Violators of these standards are subject to disciplinary and/or legal action.

§110203. “Obscene” means:

  • That the average adult applying contemporary community standards would find that the work, taken as a whole, appeals to the prurient interest;
  • That the work depicts sexual conduct specified in subsection (b) of this section in a way that is patently offensive to prevailing standards in the adult community as a whole with respect to what is suitable material;
  • That the work, taken as a whole, lacks serious artistic, educational, literary, political, or scientific value.

Report violations immediately to the Director of IT, Room C169C.

Network users agree to indemnify and hold harmless Carroll Community College, its Board of Trustees, and college employees from and against any claim, lawsuit, cause of action, damage judgment, loss, expense, or liability resulting from any claim, including reasonable attorney’s fees, arising out of or related to the use of the College’s hardware, software, and network facilities. This indemnity shall include without limitation, those claims based on trademark or service mark infringement, trade name infringement, copyright infringement, defamation, unlawful discrimination or harassment, rights of publicity, and invasion of privacy.